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One by one, the pre-built pine rafters were flipped into the air, guided by ropes and Amish men.
The men clambered up to the top of the stable boards and began hammering the rafters in place. In a matter of hours Saturday, with the help of about 60 Amish and a few other community members, the main structure of Ina and Steve Brosinski’s new barn in rural Genoa was complete.
The Brosinskis’ Amish neighbors had offered to build the family a new barn on Nov. 4, 2007, the day their old barn was swallowed in flames that killed 70 dairy cows inside. The dairy operation was the sole source of income for the Brosinskis, who have six children.
Their insurance would cover the materials to build the new barn, but not the labor, Ina said.
Ina said she and her family were overwhelmed by the generosity of the Amish who volunteered to rebuild the barn for free, and others in the area who held a benefit for the family in January that provided financial support to help them pay the bills for the past six months.
“When we had our barn fire, the outpour of support from the community was amazing,” Ina said as tears welled in her eyes. “The whole experience has shown me how good people really are.”
The Amish have been working on building the rafters and foundation of the barn for the past three weeks to prepare for the day of the barn raising.
One of the Amish wives, a neighbor of the Brosinskis, told Ina they helped because it is the kind of thing they do for each other and for neighbors.
“It has been amazing to watch them, the way they work together and their work ethic,” said Kathy Tully, a friend of Ina.
The Brosinskis had heifers that were kept in a separate barn and saved from the fire, which have now grown, had calves and are staying at neighbors’ farms. The family plans to buy 40 cows once the barn is complete to bring their herd to 70 again.
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